June 29, 2018
The Kushner-Greenblatt “Deal of the Century”: A Dealmaker Morphs into a Dealbreaker?
After nearly 18 months of behind-the-scenes political consultations and unpublicized diplomatic exchanges, senior members of the Trump Administration’s Middle East peace team have just completed a five-country tour of the region to discuss, with close...
Learn more »June 28, 2018
Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Lebanon: The Politics of their Return
Overwhelmed by their own economic woes, Jordan and Lebanon are employing different tactics to achieve the same objective: to secure the return of Syrian refugees to their home country. This paper addresses the politics and...
Learn more »June 26, 2018
Jared Kushner’s Misguided Appeal to the Palestinian People
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, gave an interview to the Palestinian Al Quds newspaper on June 24 (original Arabic, English translation), in an effort to address the Palestinian public directly and...
Learn more »June 26, 2018
The Aftermath of Egypt’s 2018 Presidential Election: Stormy Weather Ahead
The Egyptian presidential election of March 2018 posed a simple challenge for incumbent President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi. He needed a convincing victory (by authoritarian standards) against superficially credible opposition, with voter turnout exceeding that of his...
Learn more »June 22, 2018
US Withdrawal from UN Human Rights Council Has Little to Do with Human Rights
US withdrawal weakens the council’s credibility and empowers Israel in its neglect for the council’s investigations and resolutions. The UNHRC is the premier international body responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights and...
Learn more »June 21, 2018
The Problem of Legitimacy for the Palestinian Authority
On June 13, scores of Palestinian protesters gathered to demand change in Palestinian policies toward Gaza and were brutally repressed by the security services. This time, however, these protests were not taking place in Gaza...
Learn more »June 18, 2018
Hodeida and the Changing American Position
The current offensive by Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to take the Red Sea port city of Hodeida—which Houthi rebels control—has delayed efforts by the United Nations to...
Learn more »June 15, 2018
It May Be Time to Restructure American Assistance to Jordan
Since May 30, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has seen a wave of massive, largely peaceful protests that have King Abdullah II in a bind. The current turmoil has forced the monarch to slow the...
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